Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ionescu

  • Rapid Bucharest 100 years

    Rapid Bucharest 100 years

    On June 25 1923, several rail
    workers of the Grivita workshops laid the foundations of one of the most
    beloved clubs in the Romanian sports history: Rapid Bucharest. The aforementioned
    workers were at that time members of the Cultural and Sports Association CFR
    Bucharest and the club’s football side became one of the most popular in
    Romania. In the period between the two world wars, the rail footballers managed
    to accomplish several notable results. They had claimed seven editions of
    Romania’s Cup by 1942 and in 1940 they had made it to the finals of the Central
    European Cup, which was cancelled by the war.




    Rapid footballers managed to win the first Romanian championship only in 1967
    over 40 years since the club’s foundation. With Valentin Stanescu at the helm,
    Rapid’s lineup at that time was considered the best in the entire club’s
    history. The team’s strong point was its attacks with Ion Ionescu and Nicky
    Dumitriu as strikers. Along the years, however, Rapid had less fruitful periods,
    with many years in the championship’s second league where it got archrivals
    like Petrolul Ploiesti and Progresul Bucharest. Several decades ago, a game
    pitching Rapid against Petrolul used to bring more fans together than the
    derbies of the first league.




    After a break of 32 years, Rapid became champions under the guidance of the
    famous Romanian headcoach Mircea Lucescu. The team got the title again in 2003
    with Mircea Rednic as coach.




    Rapid also boasts two major
    performances in the European Cups. In the 1972-1973 football season, Rapid made
    it to the quarters of Cup Winners’ Cup where it was eliminated by Leeds United.
    In the 2005-2006 season, this prestigious football side advanced to the
    quarters of the UEFA Cup, where it was eliminated by Steaua Bucharest.




    In recent years though, the
    situation of the club got complicated and the financial issues eventually led
    the club to insolvency and dismantling in late 2016. A year later, upon the
    initiative of the district one city hall, a sports association entitled the
    Rapid Academy was founded and joined Romania’s fourth football league. The
    group purchased the Rapid logo and in three years, made a comeback to the first
    football league, where in 2022 ranked ninth. This year Rapid has qualified for
    the Superleague’s play-offs presently ranking fifth in the standings.




    (bill)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    Farul Constanţa is Romania’s new football
    champion. The team coached by Gheorghe Hagi has claimed the title a leg before
    the end of the championships’ play-off stage, with a 3-2 home win against FCSB,
    and put a distance of four points between them and the runner-up. Also in the last but one leg, CFR Cluj
    clinched a 2-1 win against Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe. Rapid Bucharest will be up
    against Universitatea Craiova on Monday.




    On Friday Universitatea Cluj secured a 2-1 away
    win against Hermannstadt and FC Arges a 3-0 home win against Petrolul Ploiesti.
    Chindia Targoviste versus FC FC Voluntari ended in a draw, two-all. UTA also
    drew their game against FCU Craiova, one-all. On Saturday, FC Botosani trounced
    FC Mioveni 5-1 and the latter demoted to the second football league. And so did
    Chindia Targoviste. Two sides have advanced to the first league; they are Poli
    Iasi and Otelul Galati, from eastern Romania. UTA and FC Argeş will go into the
    play-offs with the sides on the fourth and fifth positions in the second
    league. FC Arges will be up against Dinamo Bucharest and UTA takes on Gloria
    Buzau.






    Romanian athletes have obtained good results in
    the first matches of the World Table Tennis Championships underway in Durban, South
    Africa. In the women’s singles, Andreea Dragoman has outperformed Szu-Yu Chen
    of Taiwan and Adina Diaconu defeated Goi Rui Xuan, of Singapore. In the men’s
    contest Eduard Ionescu lost to Simon Gauzy of France. Ovidiu Ionescu and
    Spanish Alvaro Robles have qualified for the round of 32 of the doubles contest
    without playing after the pair made up of Ramon Maxwell and Tyrese Knight, of Barbados
    didn’t show up. In the women’s doubles contest, Romanians Andreea Dragoman and Elizabeta
    Samara have qualified for the round of 32 after a win against the South African
    pair made up of Musfiquh Kalam and Lailaa Edwards.




    The Romanian- Spanish pair Adina Diaconu / Maria
    Xiao has also qualified after a win against Charlotte Lutz and Audrey Zarif of
    France. In the mixed-doubles, Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szőcs have qualified
    for the same round of 32 after a win against Ibrahim Gunduz and Sibel Altinkaya
    of Turkey.


    Unfortunately, Eduard Ionescu and Adina Diaconu
    lost to Simon Gauzy and Prithika Pavade of France. The latest medal obtained by
    a Romanian in the aforementioned competition was when Ovidiu Ionescu, world vice
    champion in the men’s doubles teamed up with Spanish Alvaro Robles in Budapest
    in 2019.


    (bill)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    Farul Constanţa is Romania’s new football
    champion. The team coached by Gheorghe Hagi has claimed the title a leg before
    the end of the championships’ play-off stage, with a 3-2 home win against FCSB,
    and put a distance of four points between them and the runner-up. Also in the last but one leg, CFR Cluj
    clinched a 2-1 win against Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe. Rapid Bucharest will be up
    against Universitatea Craiova on Monday.




    On Friday Universitatea Cluj secured a 2-1 away
    win against Hermannstadt and FC Arges a 3-0 home win against Petrolul Ploiesti.
    Chindia Targoviste versus FC FC Voluntari ended in a draw, two-all. UTA also
    drew their game against FCU Craiova, one-all. On Saturday, FC Botosani trounced
    FC Mioveni 5-1 and the latter demoted to the second football league. And so did
    Chindia Targoviste. Two sides have advanced to the first league; they are Poli
    Iasi and Otelul Galati, from eastern Romania. UTA and FC Argeş will go into the
    play-offs with the sides on the fourth and fifth positions in the second
    league. FC Arges will be up against Dinamo Bucharest and UTA takes on Gloria
    Buzau.






    Romanian athletes have obtained good results in
    the first matches of the World Table Tennis Championships underway in Durban, South
    Africa. In the women’s singles, Andreea Dragoman has outperformed Szu-Yu Chen
    of Taiwan and Adina Diaconu defeated Goi Rui Xuan, of Singapore. In the men’s
    contest Eduard Ionescu lost to Simon Gauzy of France. Ovidiu Ionescu and
    Spanish Alvaro Robles have qualified for the round of 32 of the doubles contest
    without playing after the pair made up of Ramon Maxwell and Tyrese Knight, of Barbados
    didn’t show up. In the women’s doubles contest, Romanians Andreea Dragoman and Elizabeta
    Samara have qualified for the round of 32 after a win against the South African
    pair made up of Musfiquh Kalam and Lailaa Edwards.




    The Romanian- Spanish pair Adina Diaconu / Maria
    Xiao has also qualified after a win against Charlotte Lutz and Audrey Zarif of
    France. In the mixed-doubles, Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szőcs have qualified
    for the same round of 32 after a win against Ibrahim Gunduz and Sibel Altinkaya
    of Turkey.


    Unfortunately, Eduard Ionescu and Adina Diaconu
    lost to Simon Gauzy and Prithika Pavade of France. The latest medal obtained by
    a Romanian in the aforementioned competition was when Ovidiu Ionescu, world vice
    champion in the men’s doubles teamed up with Spanish Alvaro Robles in Budapest
    in 2019.


    (bill)

  • Children are also affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

    Children are also affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

    Since the onset of the pandemic, a year
    ago, over 120 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus. As
    expected the virus gradually made its way to children and although they seem to
    be the least affected category in terms of infection, SARS-CoV-2 can pose a
    real threat to children suffering from a series of illnesses and who have low
    immunity.




    The virus can create severe symptoms or
    complications in young children suffering from diseases. According to Diana
    Ionescu, medical director with the Victor Gomoiu Children Hospital in
    Bucharest, the facility is functioning at full capacity.




    Diana Ionescu: We have 7
    beds approved all occupied with patients plus the buffer wards full of presumably
    infected children waiting for the results of their tests. Some of these have already
    tested positive and we are trying to finds new beds for them or to transfer these
    little patients. The less severe cases or children who have been treated for
    the past 48 hours and whose condition is stable now can go home. Only the
    severe cases remain in the Covid treatment wards. There are mainly less severe
    cases which can be treated at home. However, we have lately witnessed an
    increasing number of medium to severe cases in the little ones.

    According to Diana
    Ionescu, it is extremely important that family physicians should be immediately
    consulted after a child has presented symptoms of infection, namely respiratory
    or digestive issues. Children presenting such symptoms must be tested and
    treated as soon as possible. Some of the symptoms are fever, coughing,
    diarrhea, vomiting, digestive issues, sore throat and headaches. Other symptoms
    in children may be fatigue, muscle pain and in most severe cases pneumonia or
    acute respiratory failure. The Covid-19 can shortly change the life of a child.
    The situations affecting families, friendships, the daily routine and the
    community at large can have consequences upon the development, wellbeing and
    protection of children.




    Concurrently, quarantine and isolation
    measures, the closed schools and various travel restrictions are breaking their
    routine and social support putting more pressure on parents who are forced to
    look for alternative solutions. According to studies, anxiety, stress and
    uncertainties are strongly affecting children of all ages rendering them more
    vulnerable to violence and psychological pressure. Although they have
    mechanisms to cope with these emotions, children are in need of love and
    support from their parents because they are the main providers of safety and
    comfort to their children.


    (bill)

  • June 25, 2019 UPDATE

    June 25, 2019 UPDATE

    PARTNERSHIP
    Romania intends to put into
    practice by the end of next year as many Eastern Partnership objectives as
    possible including energy and digital connectivity, participants in a business
    forum staged by the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest on Tuesday said. The event,
    held under Romania’s EU presidency, involved the participation of government
    officials and representatives of the EU business environment as well as from
    Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
    Over 20 events have been staged during Romania’s mandate at the helm of the
    European Union with a view to bringing significant progress in the relation
    between Eastern Partnership countries and the EU members.












    FLAG
    On the National Flag Day on Wednesday, Romania’s Defence Ministry is staging in
    major cities across the country a series of public events devoted to the
    national flag. The National Flag Day, on June 26th was established
    in 1998 to mark the moment during the Revolution of 1848, when the tricolor was
    adopted as a national symbol.










    JUSTICE Romania’s government would no longer issue emergency ordinances
    in the field of justice, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced on Tuesday also
    adding the citizens’ opinion would be respected. The Prime Minister went on to
    say that any legislative amendment in this field must be subjected to
    transparent debates together with professional organizations. In a report
    published on Monday, the Venice Commission recommended that the Romanian
    government drastically limit the use of emergency ordinances in justice and seriously
    reconsider the need for setting up a special section for the investigation of magistrates,
    its institutional structure and functioning principles.










    GAMES Romanian table tennis players, Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs
    walked away with silver from the mixed doubles event part of the European Games
    underway in Minsk. On Tuesday night the Romanians were defeated in finals by
    Patrick Franziska and Petrisa Solja of Germany 3-0. Several athletes from
    Romania have so far become medalists at the European Games in Minsk. Laura
    Georgeta Coman became gold medalist in the 10-meter air rifle event. Dacian
    Barna and Andreea Bogati stepped onto the second step of the podium in the
    aerobic gymnastics contest and so did Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs in
    the table tennis contest. Three Romanians, Daniela Poroineanu, Anda Mihaela
    Valvoi and Alina-Petronela Paunescu have obtained bronze medals in the Sambo
    contest of the aforementioned European Games where Romania is being represented
    by a delegation of 123 athletes. Some of these results are counting towards qualification
    for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.






    (translated by bill)

  • April 27, 2019 UPDATE

    April 27, 2019 UPDATE

    EASTER Orthodox believers who are a majority in Romania, together with
    their Greek-Catholic counterparts on Sunday celebrate Easter, the Resurrection
    of Lord Jesus Christ, the most important event of Christianity. On Saturday in
    Jerusalem, the Greek Patriarch held the Ceremony of the Holy Light, a regular
    Orthodox service during which the Patriarch goes out of the Holy Sepulchre and
    share light with the believers. A delegation of the Romanian Orthodox Church went
    to Jerusalem to bring into Romania the Holy Light by means of a charter plane.
    At midnight, churches all over Romania saw special services devoted to Christ’s
    Resurrection. Roman Catholics and Protestant believers celebrated Easter on
    April 21st. In his Easter address, Romanian Patriarch Daniel urges
    believers that ‘through good words and deeds they bring joy and light in the
    hearts of the orphans, the sick, the needy, the old, to those in mourning and
    those alone’. Also ‘we shouldn’t forget the Romanians abroad and pray for them
    and their salvation’ the Patriarch went on to say. Florentin Crihalmeanu, the
    bishop of the Greek-Catholic eparchy in Cluj, north-western Romania, has
    reminded believers that the Christian life is a permanent fight, a beautiful
    one, which allows us to celebrate every moment when Christ wins in our life. He
    again hailed the visit Pope Francis is going to pay to Romania in a month, when
    he is going to beatify the 7 Greek-Catholic martyrs who died in the communist
    prisons.








    CAMPAIGN An election campaign for the European Parliament, whose elections
    are due on May 26th, kicked off in Romania on Saturday. Out of the
    13 political groups vying for seats in the European Parliament, there are the
    ruling PSD and ALDE, UDMR, the Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as well
    as the opposition PNL, the USR-PLUS alliance, PMP and ProRomania, a group
    formed by PSD dissidents. There are also other extra-Parliament parties in this
    election race, such as the National Unity Bloc, UNPR and the United Romania
    Party, PRODEMO, the Romanian Socialist Party, and the Independent Social
    Democratic Party. There are also three independent candidates vying for seats
    in the European Parliament. Romania will have 33 members in the future European
    Parliament, but under a European Council decision, the 33rd mandate
    will commence only after Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc has produced
    judicial effects. 441 polling stations have been set up for the Romanians
    abroad, most of them in Italy, Spain and the neighboring Republic of Moldova.
    Concurrently with the aforementioned elections, the Romanians are expected to
    have their say in a referendum on justice, initiated by the country’s president
    Klaus Iohannis.

    TABLE TENNIS Romanian Ovidiu Ionescu and Spanish Alvaro Robles on Saturday won
    the silver medals in the double match of the World Table Tennis Championship in
    Budapest Hungary. The two conceded defeat in the finals to Chinese Long Ma and
    Chuqin Wang. In another development, the board of the European Table Tennis Federation decided
    that Romania host the 2021 edition of the European Table Tennis Team
    Championships. Romania hosted the European Cadet and Junior Table Tennis
    Championship in 2018.








    FREQUENCIES Dear friends,
    Radio Romania International has operated new changes into the frequencies of
    its transmissions due to come into effect on April 27th. So, the RRI
    broadcast at 3:00 UTC to North America, (the West Coast) can be received on the
    frequency of 7375 kHz in the analogue system, while our programmes to India are
    carried by 13630 kHz in the DRM system.


    (translated by bill)